ATM dragged through storefront in failed Christmas Eve robbery

WHITE SETTLEMENT, Texas - Police are asking for the public’s help to identify two men who tried to steal an ATM on Christmas Eve by dragging it from a store with a metal cable.

What we know:

The incident occurred around 3:45 a.m. in the 2600 block of S. Cherry St. Investigators say the suspects tied a metal cable to the machine and attached it to an SUV. While the suspects managed to pull the ATM through the store's front glass doors, the machine became detached while they were driving away.

Officers later found the ATM abandoned on the Interstate 30 service road between S. Cherry Lane and Las Vegas Trail.

Using license plate readers and surveillance technology, police located the getaway SUV less than a mile from the scene. Investigators determined the vehicle had been stolen from a Dallas apartment complex just an hour before the attempted theft.

Detectives believe the suspects abandoned the SUV and fled on foot or were picked up by another vehicle. 

Local perspective:

Fort Worth investigators are now working with neighboring departments to determine if this is linked to similar convenience store thefts reported in surrounding cities over the last two weeks.

Help police find ATM thief suspects

What they're saying:

White Settlement Police Chief Cook believes this crime is connected to similar incidents in DFW. Possibly even ones involving the same store owner.

"He’s been hit three times. He’s got a lot of convenient stores in Dallas-Fort Worth," said Cook. "He really feels like the same people were involved. It is always a stolen SUV, it’s always two guys, and they do the same thing."

"Of course, unbeknownst to us at the time, that vehicle was stolen about an hour before in Dallas, at an apartment complex."

ATM thefts are relatively common, but it’s uncommon for bystanders to be inside a store when it happens. 

"And we believe it was brazen also because not only is the store open, it’s well lit, it’s a small town. A lot of criminals know you’re going to commit crimes in larger populations because a lot of those police officers are busy."

Chief Cook hopes someone comes forward with information that leads to an arrest.

"These bad guys, they brag about something like this they tell these stories, and so we’re hopeful that one of their so-called friends you know does the right thing, gives us a tip, even if it’s anonymous, they’re eligible for a cash reward and that might lead us to the path of getting them identified," he said.

"This is a pretty serious felony like you’ll go to prison."

What you can do:

Both suspects are described as men wearing black hooded sweatshirts, black pants, face masks, and orange gloves. One suspect wore white sneakers, while the other wore black tennis shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Geovanny Ramirez at 817-246-7070, ext. 420. Anonymous tips can also be submitted to Tarrant County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS.